Sunday, June 14, 2009

Vidya Reviews: Meteos

Circa July 5th, 2005 Meteos Meteos, brainchild of Kirby/SSB creator Masahiro Sakurai, is quite the unique puzzle game. For the Nintendo DS, Meteos doesn't require the touch screen. However, using it makes things a lot faster, and as my review is about to say; this game is all about speed. Instead of Lumines' trance like gameplay, Meteos throws the player into a hyper fight for survival. I'm sure I could make some joke about one game being like one drug and the other being like...some other drug, but I won't.

Meteos' concept involves the player lining up 3 or more blocks of the same color vertically or horizontally to blast them off into space (the top screen). The player can only move the blocks up and down, so it's kinda like the opposite of tetris attack (where you can only move the blocks from side to side). Oh, and I forgot to mention, the player is constantly pounded with a barrage of meteos falling out of the sky. It is vital to your survival that you stay on your toes, and always be alert. The graphics are vibrant for a puzzle game, with all sorts of cool effects and colors. The sound effects and music are pretty cool too, but sound doesn't play any real role the way Lumines' does, but it kinda tricks you into thinking it does. Like Lumines, the game has multiple skins (planets) that all have unique music and sound effects. On top of this, they also have different gravity...this may sound strange, but in a puzzle game that involves blasting the puzzle pieces off the top of the screen, it feels natural.

There are all sorts of gametypes (and in this way, Meteos reflects Super Smash Bros. Melee in style/presentation), but they all basically have you doing the same thing, you just have different goals (1000 meteos war, 2 minute war, etc.). Basically, Meteos is the polar opposite in feel and presentation to Lumines, just not in quality. Both games are superb puzzlers, each with their own intricacies that just scream "PLAY ME!!! I HATE MY BROTHER!!! DON'T PLAY HIM!!!" So, as you can imagine, things can get a little complicated. I give Meteos another solid 9/10. 

-AfroRyan METEOS, GO TO YOUR ROOM!!! And Lumines, I can't believe you told your brother that his music sucks! Need I remind you of "Morning Beats?"

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